Means for adapting audio oscillators to flashlights



Aug. 14, 1962 J. E. JOHNSTON MEANS FOR ADAPTING AUDIO OSCILLATORS TO FLASHLIGHTS Filed Nov. 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet l N VE N TOA JAMES E. JOHNSTON Aug. 14, 1962 J. E. JOHNSTON 3,049,669

MEANS FOR ADAPTING AUDIO OSCILLATORS TO FLASHLIGHTS Filed Nov. 7, 1958 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 .IZj

8 INVENTOI? JAMES E. JOHNSTON ATTORNEY ttes tn 3,049,669 MEANS FGR ADAPTHNG AUDIO OSCILLATORS T FLASHLIGHTS James E. Johnston, 124 Clover St, Southbridge, Mass. Filed Nov. 7, 1958, Ser. No. 772,619 4 Claims. (Cl. 325-66) This invention relates to the provision of novel means for adapting an audio oscillator to a conventional type flashlight.

A principal object of this invention is to provide simple, compact and inexpensive means for adapting audio oscillators to conventional flashlights in such manner as to utilize the electrical output of the batteries of such flashlights to energize the oscillators.

Another object is to provide an adaptor, embodying an audio oscillator which is readily interchangeable with the light bulb, reflector and lens assembly of a conventional type flashlight and which, when adapted to said flashlight will operatively electrically connect the audio oscillator in circuit with the batteries of the flashlight.

Another object is to provide an adaptor of the above character having connection means thereon with which a telegraph key or the like and headphones or similar receivers may be detachably placed in circuit with the electrical components of an oscillator to provide a simple, inexpensive and effective code practice unit which, with the adaptor in a position of use on the flashlight, will be powered by the batteries of said flashlight.

A further object is to provide novel means for housing the electrical components of an audio oscillator and for adapting the oscillator to a flashlight wherein said electrical components are protected at all times from abuse due to handling or exposure to weather when transported separately or in position of use on a flashlight.

A still further object is to provide a flashlight adaptor of the above character which, for reasons of its simplicity and economy of manufacture, may be marketed in the classification of educational toys while at the same time providing a dependable, long lasting, and substantially trouble-free device of professional quality.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a code practice unit illustrating the device of the invention in position of use on a conventional type flashlight;

FIG. 2 is an exploded perspective view of the flashlight shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the manner in which the device of the invention is applied to said flashlight;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary longitudinal cross-sectional view of the head of the flashlight illustrating the device of the invention in position of use thereon;

FIG. 4 is a rear perspective exploded view of the device of the invention; and

FIG. 5 is a schematic diagram of the electrical system embodied in the code practice unit of FIG. 1 which includes the device of the invention.

Referring more particularly to the drawings wherein like characters of reference designate like parts throughout the several views, the invention embodies a device, hereinafter referred to as an adaptor 10, which is so constructed as to replace the usual lens, light bulb and reflector assembly of a conventional type flashlight. The adaptor is fitted into the flashlight as shown in FIGS. 1-3 so as to utilize the electrical output of the batteries 12 in the flashlight as means to energize the electrical components of an audio oscillator =13 (see FIG. 4) housed within the adaptor.

It will become apparent as the description progresses that the adaptor 10 is of such construction as to be readily interchangeable with the light-producing section of conventional flashlights and requires no alteration of the flashlight construction.

The adaptor 10 embodies a relatively thin circular base plate 14 stamped or otherwise formed of an electrical conducting material such as copper or other wellknown metallic alloys used to form electrical conducting elements. The base plate 14 is provided with a plurality of openings therethrough (in the case illustrated, four openings are provided) of a size adapted to each receive a threaded jack 15 which is securely clamped to the plate 14 with a nut or the like 16 (FIG.4 The jacks 15 may be of any well-known commercially available type such as is commonly used to receive phone tips or banana plugs, and which insulate said phone tips or plugs relative to each other. The openings through the plate 14 are positioned so as to locate the jacks substantially equally radially spaced from the center of the plate 14- at a distance which will provide ample space between the threaded ends of the jacks for receiving the electrical components of the oscillator 13.

The audio oscillator 13 may be or" any well-known electrical design and for purposes of illustration, a typical oscillator circuit has been shown in FIG. 5 within the dotted outline 13 and the physical components of the circuit of FIG. 5 have been illustrated in FIG. 4. The oscillator circuit illustrated in FIG. 5 embodies a commercially known PNP type transistor 17, a .025 mfd. condenser 18, a .015 mfd. condenser 19, a 2.7K ohms resistor 20, a 1.8K ohms resistor 21 and a 22K ohms resistor 22.

A cup-shaped cover 23 formed of electrical insulating material such as plastic or the like and having a centrally located electrical terminal 24 thereon is provided to fit over and completely enclose the electrical components of the oscillator 13 and the threaded ends of the jacks 15. The open end of the cover 23 which is provided with an outwardly directed integral flange 25 is placed against the plate 14 and after the parts are assembled with the plate 14 the flange 25 is cemented to otherwise permanently secured to said plate 14. Prior to the assembling of the plate '14 and cover 23, however, the terminal 24 is electrically connected to a selected one of the jacks '15, as shown in FIG. 4 and as schematically illustrated in FIG. 5.

At the side of the plate 14 opposite the cover 23 an annular ringlike member 26, which is formed of either metal or plastic or the like, is soldered or cemented or otherwise fastened to the plate 14 to provide a spacer member between the plate 14 and the screw-on lens retaining ring 27 of the flashlight 11 when the adaptor 10 is placed on the flashlight as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The member 26 may be formed as an integral part of the plate 14 if desired.

It is of importance that the diameter of the plate 14 and ring part 26, as well as the overall front-to-back thickness of the adaptor 10, be controlled in accordance with the particular dimensions of the flashlight with which the adaptor is to be used in order to cause the terminal 24 of the adaptor to make electrical contact with the positive terminal or contact 28 of the flashlight when the plate 14 is seated securely against the case (the negative terminal) of the flashlight as shown in FIG. 3. It is pointed out that by properly controlling the above-mentioned dimensions, adaptors of the character of this invention may be constructed to fit any conventional flashlight. The particular style of flashlight shown in the drawings has been given only for purposes of illustrating the invention.

In adapting the device of the invention to the flashlight 11, the screw-on lens clamping ring 27 and the usual lens, reflector and bulb assembly, not shown, is removed from the flashlight and the adaptor 10 is inserted into the posi- 3 tion normally occupied by the lens, reflector and bulb assembly (see FIG. 2) to place the terminal 24 of the adaptor against the terminal 28of the flashlight while at the same time seating the outer annular edge of the plate 14 in electrical contact against the case of the flashlight'as shown in FIG. 3. The clamping ring 27 is then threaded back onto the flashlight case to hold the adaptor 10 securely in place. It will be noted that the annular ringlike part 26 of the adaptor is of a thickness substantially equal to the thickness of a lens which would normally occupy the space taken up by the part 26 and the plate 14 is approximately of a thickness equal to that of the flashlight'reflector which would normally occupy the position of the plate 14. Thus, the clamping ring 27 is used to secure either the adaptor 10 or the usual lens and reflector parts of the flashlight in a position of use without alteration of the flashlight.

With the adaptor 10 applied to the flashlight as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 its electrical components are placed in circuit with the batteries 12, as shown in the schematic diagram, FIG. 5. The terminal 24 of the adaptor is connected through the contact 28 to the positive pole of the batteries and the plate 14 is connected through the flashlight case to the negative pole of the batteries, bypassing the on-ofl switch 11a of the flashlight.

In FIGS. 1 and 5, a code practice unit is shown which includes a telegraph key 30 and headphones 31 electrically connected with the adaptor 10. The phones 31 are connected to the adaptor 10 by the usual leads 32 having conventional phone tips 33 which plug into one pair of the jacks and the key is connected to the adaptor I0 with a pair of leads 34 having plugs or tips 35 similar to the phone tips 33 which are plugged into the remaining pair of jacks 15.

By referring more particularly to FIG. 5, it can be seen that each time the key 30 is depressed, a closed circuit is provided through the batteries 12 and the audio oscillator 13 is activated.

As mentioned hereinabove, the oscillator circuit in itself is conventional and is of the Colpitts type employing a transistor 17 to generate oscillations. The emitter 17a and collector 17b of the transistor 17 are connected to the: opposite ends of a tuned tank circuit which, in the case of this'invention, includes the capacitors 18 and 19 and the inductance of the headphones 31. The oscillations generated by the transistor 17 each time the key 30 is depressed or closed activates the diaphragms of the phones 31 to produce an audible signal of a pitch or tone simulating that which is received by commercial or amateur telegraph or radio signal systems. The tone or pitch of the audible signal received from the phones 31 may be controlled in the usual manner by the selection and matching of the electrical values of the components of the oscillator circuit.

' From the above description, it can be seen that a simple and inexpensive code practice unit adaptable to a conventional type flashlight for its source of energy is provided wherein a person operating the key 30 and wearing theheadphones 31 may hear the results of his sending or alternatively, an operator of the key may send coded messages to another person wearing the headphones 31. A further feature is that the adaptor 10 constructedaccording to the present invention will provide inexpensive and simple means by which a signal tone similar to that of commercial or amateur signal systems may be produced rather than the usual buzzer tones which are more commonly used for code practicing. This offers a distinct advantage to a person learning orpracticing Morse code, since he will immediately recognize and be. able to interpret the signal tones of commercial equipment.

From the foregoing, 'it can be seen that simple, efi'icient and economical means have been provided for accomplishing all of the objects and advantages of the invention. Nevertheless, it is apparent that many changes in the details of construction and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as expressed in the accompanying claims and the invention, therefore, is not to be limited to the exact matters shown and described as only the preferred matters have been given by way of illustration.

Having described my invention, I claim:

1. An adaptor comprising a self-contained audio oscillator unit embodying electrically interconnected oscillation generating means, elements of a tuned tank circuit and resistances, a supporting plate of electrically conducting material upon which said unit is mounted and to which it is electrically connected, a cover of electrical insulating material enclosing said unit and attached to said plate with a portion of said plate exposed, an electrical contact on said cover having a portion exposed outwardly thereof, said contact and plate being electrically connected together through said oscillator unit, said contact and plate being adapted to provide means to which an operating current may be applied to said unit and jacks carried by said plate and being so connected with said oscillator unit as to receive the electrical output of said oscillator unit and being adapted to further receive connections from equipment intended to utilize said output.

2. An adaptor comprising a self-contained audio oscillator unit embodying electrically interconnected oscillation generating means, elements of a tuned tank circuit and resistances, a supporting plate of electrically conducting material upon which said unit is mounted and to which it is electrically connected, a cover of electrical insulating material enclosing said unit and attached to said plate with a portion of said plate exposed, an electrical contact on said cover having a portion exposed outwardly thereof, said contact and plate being electrically connected together through said oscillator unit, said contact and plate being adapted to provide means to which an. operating current may be applied to said unit, connection means carried by and extending through said plate and in electrically interconnected relation with said oscillator unit so as to receive the electrical output thereof and being adapted to detachably receive connections from equipment disposed outwardly of said adaptor and intended to utilize said output of "said oscillator unit.

3: An adaptor comprising a self-contained audio oscillator unit embodying electrically interconnected oscillation generating means, elements of a tuned tank circuit and resistances, a supporting plate of electrically conducting material upon which said unit is mounted and to which it is electrically connected, a cover of electrical insulating material enclosing said unit and attached to said plate with a portion of said plate exposed, an electrical contact on said cover having a portion exposed outwardly thereof, said contact and plate being electrically connected together through said oscillator unit, said contact and plate being adapted to provide means to which an operating current may be applied to said unit, connection means carried by and extending through said plate and in electrically interconnected relation with said oscillator unit so as to receive the electrical output thereof, a telegraph key detachably placed in circuitwith certain of said connection means and earphones similarly detachably placed in circuit with others of said connection means.

4. A device of the character described comprising the combination of an adaptor having a self-contained audiov oscillator unit therein embodying electrically interconnected oscillation generating means, elements of a tuned tank circuit and resistances, a supporting plate of elec-.

later unit, said contact and plate being adapted to provide means to which an operating cur-rent may be applied to said uni-t, connection means carried by and extending through said plate and in electrically interconnected relation with said oscillator unit so as to receive the electrical output thereof, a telegraph key detachably placed in circuit with certain of said connection means and earphones similarly detachably placed in circuit with others of said connection means, a member containing a source 'of electrical energy of a nature suitable for operating said oscillator uni-t, means on said member for receiving and attaching said adaptor thereto and electrical contact means in said member electrically interconnected with said source of electrical energy and with which said plate and contact engage when said adaptor is attached to said member.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,752,196 Patric Mar. 25, 1930 1,807,844 Huffman June 2, 1931 1,934,498 Guedon Nov. 7, 1933 2,069,633 Tripp Feb. 2, 1937 2,231,660 Carlotti Feb. 11, :1941 2,305,161 Hieronymus Dec. 15, 1942 2,578,288 Cook Dec. 11, 1951 10 2,809,239 Nielsen Oct. 8, 1957 OTHER REFERENCES Pub.: Radio and Television News, April 1953, pages 40, 41, and 99, A Transistor Code Practice Oscillator by 15 Garner.

Pub.: Principles of Transistor Circuit by Shea, page 286, 1953, by J. Wiley and Sons. 

